‘Low awareness in India about diabetes’
India may be close to becoming diabetes capital of the world but a recent survey has revealed that awareness levels in Indians regarding the disease is low. According to the survey a staggering 62.6% of the people interviewed didn’t know anything about the complications of the disease.
International Diabetes Federation (IDF), in 2011 estimated that India alone has 61.3 million people living with diabetes, this places India second to China. As per the recent studies, India is also the largest contributor to regional mortality (in south East Asia region) with 983000 deaths attributable to diabetes.
The recent survey-India POL (led) diabetes Survey carried in cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru including about 900 people over 30 -60 years that had atleast one diabetic member in the family.
The survey showed low awareness levels. Even though these people have a family member living with diabetes, only 46% of the people interviewed could correctly identify the causative mechanism of the disease; nearly 33% could recognise factors strongly associated with the disease (Obesity, heredity).
Over the past few years, the prevalence of diabetes in the country has really assumed epidemic proportions and is now a very large public health problem, growing astronomically year after year. The problem is set to increase manifold if awareness amongst the masses does not translate into action,” said Dr Anoop Misra, chairman, Centre of Diabetes, Fortis Hospital, Delhi.
The survey revealed that only 9.6% of the people interviewed could point to hereditary factors being associated with the disease; this is alarmingly low for people who have a family member living with diabetes. Myths linking diabetes to the consumption of sugar are also prevalent.
Of those interviewed, 48% didn’t know how diabetes behaves in the long run and whether or not it can be controlled/cured, pointing once again to an alarmingly low level of awareness.
Only 22% of the people interviewed believed that diabetes could be controlled by treatment, underlining the fact that more emphasis needs to be laid on awareness drives educating people on diabetes, its prevention and treatment.
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